Introduction:

Malaria is an acute potentially fatal febrile disease caused by parasites transmitted to humans through the bite of mosquitoes from the genus Anopheles. Cuba succeeded in eliminating transmission of this disease thanks to great efforts geared to such an end. It is therefore necessary to take a number of measures aimed at preventing its re-emergence via surveillance and the International Health Control Program.

Objective:

Clinically characterize a group of patients with imported malaria.

Methods:

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted of 46 adult patients with imported malaria admitted to Pedro Kourí Tropical Medicine Institute from January 2015 to December 2016. The data were collected from the patients' medical records. Results of the analysis of qualitative variables were transferred onto absolute and relative frequency tables.

Results:

Male patients prevailed, with a mean age of 37.4 years. Of the patients studied, 38 (82.6%) were from the African continent, most of them from Angola (26.1% of the total cases). A significant relationship was found between the supposed non-immune status of patients and the severity of the clinical status and the presence of comorbidities, as well as between the severity of the clinical status and greater parasitemia and the presence of the species Plasmodium falciparum. An excellent response was obtained to treatment with combined schemes based on quinine and chloroquine, depending on the species.

Conclusions:

Delay between arrival and hospital admittance of patients is an extraordinary risk for the reintroduction of malaria in Cuba and to the patients' lives.

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